Attachment mounting means for hearing protectors



F. F. BEGUIN April 29, 1969 ATTACHMENT MOUNTING MEANS FOR HEARING PROTECTORS Filed Aug. 25, 1966 RN mu NG u W Dr D E R F ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,440,663 ATTACHMENT MOUNTING MEANS FOR HEARING PROTECTORS Fred P. Beguin, Sturbridge, Mass., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Optical Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 25, 1966, Ser. No. 575,148 Int. Cl. A44b 17/00 US. Cl. 2209 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Low-cost noise-shielding ear cups having air-tight substantially vibrationless means for pivotally connecting headbands and the like to the cups. Each connecting means comprises a unitary stifily resilient stud extended through a hole in its respective cup. The stud has an enlarged tapered portion which engages the inner periphery of the hole and resiliently draws an enlarged head portion of the stud tightly against the outer side of the cup to effect the air-tight vibrationless connection for a headband aflixed to the head of the stud.

The field of this invention is that of hearing protectors which include noise-shielding cups for enclosing the ears, and the invention relates more particularly to novel and improved studs for mounting attachments on such noiseshielding cups.

Conventional hearing protectors include thin, noiseshielding cups usually of molded plastic material having cushions which extend around the open ends of the cups. The cups are usually mounted on head bands or the like for holding the cups against the head to enclose the ears. The cushions on the cup rims form seals between the cups and the wearers head so that air pressure within the cups is maintained at a relatively constant level. In this Way the cups serve to shield the ears from sound waves which are transmitted through the surrounding air as pressure variations as specific frequencies.

The means employed for attaching headbands or other devices such as microphone booms to the noise-shielding cups must provide secured, relatively vibrationless connection to the cups to avoid generation of noise at the point of attachment to the cups. The attaching of headbands or the like to the cups must also be accomplished without permitting air to enter the cups at the point of attachment. It is also desirable to permit pivoting of the headbands and the like relative to the cups at the point of attachment. For example, the headband may be pivotally attached to the cup to permit the headband to extend over the top of the wearers head or to extend around the back of the wearers head as preferred.

The means conventionally used for attaching headbands to noise-shielding cups usually includes studs, nuts, washers and gaskets in order to provide secure, pivotal attachment without permitting air to leak into the cups at the point of headband attachment. Frequently, the cups themselves are provided with molded bosses and the like to receive such attaching means, thereby requiring more expensive and complicated cup-molding techniques.

It is an object of this invention to provide novel and improved means for mounting attachments on thin-walled panels of noise-shielding cups and the like; to provide such mounting means which achieve secure, pivotal attachment to noise-shielding cups without permitting leakage of air into the cups; and to provide such mounting means which are of simple and inexpensive construction. It is a further object of this invention to provide noise-shielding cups having improved attachment mounting means secured thereto.

In accordance with this invention, the noise-shielding cup, preferably of molded plastic material, has a thin wall or panel and has a hole in the cup panel at the point where attachment of a headband or the like to the cup is desired. The attachment mounting means provided by this invention then comprises a unitary stud preferably formed of a stiffiy resilient plastic material such as nylon. The stud includes an attachment-supporting head at one end of the stud for abutting one side of the cup panel, a neck attached to the head extending into the panel hole, a locking portion extending outwardly from the neck to a portion of larger cross-sectional size than the panel hole for engaging the opposite side of the cup panel, and an inserting portion tapering inwardly from said larger crosssectional portion to a smaller cross-sectional size than said panel hole at the opposite end of said stud. The stud has at least one longitudinal slot extending through said inserting and locking portions, and preferably into said neck, for permitting compression of said slotted portions during insertion of the slotted portions through the panel hole. The stud head and neck preferably form a shoulder for abutting said one side of the cup panel in sealing relation thereto entirely around the perimeter of the panel hole. The stud neck is preferably shorter than the thickness of the cup panel and the locking portion of the stud preferably tapers outwardly from the stud neck to engage the opposite side of the cup panel at the perimeter of the panel hole, thereby to resiliently draw the shoulder of said stud head into sealing relation to said one side of the cup panel. The inserting portion preferably has a gradual taper for facilitaitng insertion of the stud into the panel hole and the locking portion preferably has a greater taper for retaining the stud securely within the panel hole. Where the stud is to be used for mounting a cup-supporting member, the stud head is preferably provided with a radial hole therethrough and the supporting member extends through said radial hole with a sliding, friction fit.

Other objects, advantages and details of the attachment mounting means for hearing protectors provided by this invention appear in the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, the invention referring to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a noise-shielding cup embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the attachment-mounting stud provided by this invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial section view along line 3-3 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of an alternative embodiment of the invention.

Referring to the drawings, 10 in FIG. 1 illustrates a noise-shielding cup, preferably formed of molded plastic material, having a cushion 12 attached to the rim of the cup to form a seal between the cup and the wearers head (not shown). As will be understood, the noise-shielding cup may enclose an ear for protecting hearing, in which case the cushion 12 will form a seal against the wearers head around the ear for maintaining air pressure within the cup at a relatively constant level in conventional manner. In this way, sound waves which are transmitted by the surrounding air (as pressure variations at specific frequencies) are shielded from the ear and do not cause any substantial change in the air pressure within the cup adjacent the wearers ear. Of course, the noise-shielding cup could enclose a mouthpiece microphone (not shown), in which case the cushion 12 would form a seal between the cup and the wearers head around the wearers mouth 3 for shielding the microphone from ambient noise in conventional manner.

The attachment-mounting stud 14 provided by this invention is best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. As illustrated, the noise-shielding cup has a thin wall or panel 16 which has a hole 18 extending through the panel. The stud, which is preferably formed of a stifiiy resilient and preferably highly lubricious material such as nylon, has a head 20 abutting one side 22 of the cup panel and has a neck 24 extending into the panel hole the neck being somewhat smaller in diameter than the panel hole. The head and neck form a shoulder 26 which engages the cup panel side 22 in sealing relation to the panel entirely around the perimeter of the cup hole.

The stud neck 24 is preferably shorter than the thickness of the wall or panel of the noise-shielding cup as shown in FIG. 3. A locking portion 28 of the stud then extends or tapers outwardly from the neck 24 to a portion of larger cross-sectional size than the panel hole for engaging the opposite side 30 of the cup panel at the perimeter of the panel hole. The stud also includes an insertlng portion 32 which tapers inwardly from the larger crosssectional part of the locking portion toward the end of the stud opposite the stud head. The inserting portion 32 tapers to a cross-sectional size which is smaller than the hole 18 in the cup panel. The stud is then provided with at least one and preferably two longitudinal slots 34 which extend through the inserting and locking portions of the stud and which preferably extend well into the neck portion of the stud. These slots permit compression of the slotted stud portions during insertion of the stud ino the panel hole 18. That is, as will be understood, when the smaller cross-sectional part of the stud inserting portion is first inserted into the cup hole 18 from the side 22 of the cup panel, engagement of the perimeter of the cup hole with the inserting portion taper will wedge and compress the slotted portions of the stud permitting the stud to slip or snap through the cup hole. When the stud is fully inserted in the hole, resilient expansion of the slotted portions of the stud engages the taper of the stud locking portion with the cup panel side 30 at the perimeter of the hole to draw the stud head securely against the panel wall 22 and to retain the stud in the hole. For these purposes, the taper of the stud inserting portion is preferably gradual for facilitating insertion of the stud in the hole; the taper of the stud locking portion is preferably relatively greater for securely retaining the stud in the hole.

For mounting a head band or a cup-supporting member 36 to the attachment-supporting head of the stud 14, the head is preferably provided with a radial hole 38 which extends through the head. The cup-supporting member preferably includes an arm 40 which extends through the radial hole in the stud head and which has a sliding friction-flit Within the radial hole. Preferably a cap 42 or other enlarged means are secured on the end of the head band arm for preventing removal of the arm from the stud head while permitting sliding of the stud to any position on the arm, the friction-fit of the stud head with the head band arm serving to hold the stud in any position on the arm. Of course the stud head could be provided with screw threads or other means for supporting any desired attachment on the stud head.

As will be understood, the illustrated stud provides a secure means for mounting an attachment upon the thinwalled panel of a noise-shielding cup. The stud head forms a seal entirely around the periphery of the hole formed in the cup for preventing leakage of air into the cup at the point of stud attachment. The stud is easily pivoted within the hole in the cup panel so that the cup is easily pivoted relatively to the cup-supporting member. Further although the stud is easily inserted into the cup hole and can be removed if desired, the stud is not easily removable and will not be snapped out of the cup hole inadvertently.

It should be understood that many modifications of the disclosed noise-shielding cup and stud are possible within the scope of this invention. For example, although the tapers of the stud locking and inserting portions are shown to be straight tapers, these tapers need not be straight but could taper at increasing or decreasing rates toward the portion of largest cross-sectional size. Further, although the stud shoulder 26 is shown to be fiat to engage a flat cup panel, the shoulder could be tapered or curved to fit a cup panel of other than flat shape entirely around the perimeter of the cup hole 18. Note also that although the stud shoulder is shown fitted in direct engagement with a side of the cup panel, a gasket or other means could be fitted between the shoulder and cup if desired to be held securely therebetween by resilient action of the stud. In an alternative construction as shown in FIG. 4 (wherein similar reference numerals refer to similar components) two studs 14 (only one of which is shown) can be employed to mount a noise-shielding cup 10a for convenient tilting on a cup-supporting band 36. As illustrated, the cup is preferably provided with small panels 16a at either side of the cup, these panels having apertures 18a therein for receiving the studs 14. The cup-supporting means 36 then includes a pair of arms 40a which fit into the stud heads. In this arrangement, the cup is easily tilted as indicated by the arrow 44 to hold the cup 25 around a wearers ear. It has been found that the studs 14 permit easy tilting of the cup many thousands of times without resulting in air leakage through the apertures 18a whether the cup is made of plastic metal or any other selected material. This invention includes all 30 modifications and equivalents of the disclosed structure which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A noise-shielding device comprising a cup member having a thin-walled panel and a unitary stilliy resilient attachment-mounting stud secured thereto, said cup having a hole formed in said panel and the stud having a neck extending into the hole, said stud further having an attachment-supporting head at one end of and larger than said neck forming a shoulder abutting one side of said panel and a locking portion adjacent the opposite end of said neck tapering outwardly therefrom to a larger cross-sectional size than that of said panel hole, said locking portion engaging the opposite side of said panel at the perimeter of said panel hole for resiliently drawing said head against said one side of the panel into air-tight relationship therewith, said stud still further including an elongated inserting portion tapering away from said locking portion down to a cross-sectional size smaller than that of said panel hole and at least one longitudinal slot extending through said inserting and locking portions into said neck for permitting insertion of the stud into said panel hole.

2. A noise-shielding device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said stud head has a radial hole therethrough and wherein a cup-supporting member extends through said radial hole and having a sliding friction fit therewith.

3. A noise-shielding device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said stud is formed of a highly lubricious material florl permitting free rotation of the stud within said panel References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,754,519 7/1956 Kindel 2209 3,179,969 4/1965 Glynn 24214 XR 3,319,510 5/1967 Rapata 2473 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 845,808 8/ 1952 Germany.

1,111,742 11/1955 France.

HERBERT F. ROSS, Primary Examiner. G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

